Whereas more than 536,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth every year which is one every minute;

Whereas in 15 percent of all pregnancies, the complications are life-threatening;

Whereas girls under 15 are 5 times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s;

Whereas nearly all these deaths are preventable;

Whereas survival rates greatly depend upon the distance and time a woman must travel to get skilled emergency medical care;

Whereas care by skilled birth attendants, nurses, midwives, or doctors during pregnancy and childbirth, including emergency services, and care for mothers and newborns is essential;

Whereas the poorer the household, the greater the risk of maternal death, and 99 percent of maternal deaths occur in developing countries;

Whereas newborns whose mothers die of any cause are 3 to 10 times more likely to die within 2 years than those whose mothers survive;

Whereas more than 1,000,000 children are left motherless and vulnerable every year;

Whereas young girls are often pulled from school and required to fill their lost mother's roles;

Whereas a mother's death lowers family income and productivity which affects the entire community;

Whereas in countries with similar levels of economic development, maternal mortality is highest where women's status is lowest;

Whereas the United States ranks 41st among 171 countries in the latest UN list ranking maternal mortality;

Whereas the overall United States maternal mortality ratio is now 11 deaths per 100,000 live births, one of the highest rates among industrialized nations;

Whereas United States maternal deaths have remained roughly stable since 1982 and have not declined significantly since then;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control estimates that the true level of United States maternal deaths may be 1.3 to 3 times higher than the reported rate; and

Whereas ethnic and racial disparities in maternal mortality rates persist and in the United States maternal mortality among black women is almost four times the rate among non-Hispanic white women: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) makes a stronger commitment to reducing maternal mortality both at home and abroad through greater financial investment and participation in global initiatives; and

(2) recognizes maternal health as a human right.

My first thought on reading this bill is to wonder where Michele Bachmann, so called defender of the unborn, stands on this bill and why she has not added her name to its list of co-sponsors. The problem for Bachmann is that infant mortality rates are not a glamorous issue on which to hang her hat and inevitably lead to the question of better access to health care.

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Political Muse

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